If anyone can appreciate a good knock-knock joke, it’s Farm Sanctuary resident Justin goat. We imagine that, for him, it conjures up nothing but good memories of how his life was saved and truly began.
Six years ago, Sacramento resident Tabitha Peralez heard a knock on her front door. When she answered it, she must have wondered for a brief second whether it was some type of joke, because in front of her stood a small goat kid. But this was no joke: Justin stood at her door with a chewed-off rope around his neck and hunger, thirst, fear, and uncertainty in his eyes. Luckily for this unexpected little visitor, Tabitha dropped everything and took him in, saw to his immediate needs, and gave him temporary lodgings in her backyard.
Justin with pal Autumn.
During this time, Justin jumped, played, and ate to his heart’s content. But while he was busy feeling cared for and safe — possibly for the first time in his life — Tabitha was busy searching for a forever home for her new goat friend. She was initially hesitant to contact local authorities, afraid that Justin might not land in safe hands and could end up being slaughtered. She eventually contacted Sacramento City Animal Control, and then Farm Sanctuary, to ensure that he would go to a safe home. Thankfully, we had room in our hospital for Justin, and a short time later, we picked him up and brought him back to the sanctuary.
Fortunately, Justin had an excellent appetite, but he did have a cough that required veterinary care. An examination revealed that he had fluid buildup in his lungs, but treatment with antibiotics helped him recover quickly.
Since his arrival at Farm Sanctuary, Justin has always been a little more shy and reserved than many of the other goats when it comes to his humanimal friends. He prefers to keep a little distance between himself and shelter staff — well, unless there’s a bucket of Gatorade or fresh new hay involved (in which case, any trepidation is thrown to the wayside and he runs up with the friendliest of the goats)!
Justin and his friends run down the hill to say hello.
When just relaxing during the day, he prefers to be with his goat friends and watch his humanimal friends from a distance. He currently lives with a group of goats we call the Bachelors because it’s an all-male group. He has lived with many different goats during his time at Farm Sanctuary, though, and has loved them all.
Justin is most definitely not a fighter. He often befriends the stronger goats and will stand right behind them during play head-butting matches, as if saying “Yeah, you’re lucky the bigger guy is holding me back — yeah, you’d better run!” Justin is by far the smallest goat in the group, but he is not fazed by this at all. We can tell that he has the mindset that he can do anything any other goat can do, and we love it!
While Justin is friends with all the goats he lives with, he is especially close with Noel, Autumn, and Aidan, choosing to eat, sleep, and play with these three more than anyone else in the Bachelor herd. (And when we say “play,” we mean “stand behind one of his friends and taunt whoever they may be sparring with.”)
We love everything about this amazing guy — he is shy, loved, curious, and feisty (in his own way). He has a strength in him that is unmistakable, and from the first time meeting Justin, there is no denying he has an air about him that is all his own. He exhibits a quiet inner confidence that we can’t get enough of. We are so grateful that Justin is safe and happy at Farm Sanctuary, and look forward to a lifetime of love for him on the farm.
Please share Justin’s story. Together, we can raise awareness that goats like him are each someone, not something, deserving of love, care, and respect. With your support, we can continue to promote compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. A compassionate world begins with you!
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